OPINION
When You Get There, Remember Where You Came From A Message from WFBF President Joe Bragger
I
’ve been asked many times since December about my decision to run for Wisconsin Farm Bureau President. First and foremost, it’s a humbling experience to be in this role serving our more that 47,000 members across the state. Like a true farmer, I can’t wait to get to work. Just like farming, there are constant seasons at Farm Bureau, and we are already well underway in 2020. I’ve had the chance to introduce myself to many people in the past weeks, but I wanted to talk to you about what I aim to achieve most as your new president. Taking challenges head on. It is my strong desire to transcend division while taking the issues head on. This seems to be somewhat of a contrasting statement, so let me explain. Like you, I see the division in our political world and anxiously want to bring people together on nonpartisan items like agriculture. The issues from a political standpoint can be very divisive
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Rural Route
at times. Having a strong debate, doing the research and hard work, allowing for some compromise and ultimately just doing what is right for farmers and our rural communities will never go out of style and we will work as an organization to encourage those healthy discussions to limit the disagreement among farmers. I know the disconnect between farmers and consumers is holding us back. As the largest general farm organization, we must be engaged in ways to decrease the divide. Giving our members the power through leadership development programs puts us on the right track. Someone once explained to me that in the West there are cattle and buffalo on the same hills. When a storm rolls in, the cattle become restless and start to stir while the buffalo turn to face the storm. With their heads down resolute, they head straight into the storm while the cattle run. The cattle are in the storm much longer as they are constantly trying to run from it. However, the buffalo only experience a short time in the storm as they charge through it onto greener grass. I wish for us as Farm Bureau members to be the buffalo and take on the storms. Work together to determine our future and continuously improve. I strongly believe our largest strength as an organization is our grassroots policy development process. WFBF’s policy is established by farmers through a structured policy development process. Suggestions and policy ideas come directly from members who propose and vote on them at county Farm Bureau annual meetings. Policy ideas work their way up to the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Annual Meeting each December
where delegate members vote on the proposals. This process continues at the national level. While WFBF’s Board oversees how that policy is directed and the overall direction of Farm Bureau, no single person or segment controls the organization. From the bottom to the top, our vision is directed by everyone. Certainly, I have some ideas to help increase our ability to not only support our members but to further their ability to help themselves, but I was given a word limit for this column. Good, bad or indifferent, everyone has something to offer and it’s my goal to grow our talents and use them to push us into the next century. As a farmer, I’m never satisfied. Sure, you can have a good year, but you can always do better, right? We just celebrated 100 years. How will we achieve great things in the next 100 years? By constantly improving and trying to do better than last time. The key to our success will be doing what we do best: uniting farmers and agriculturists and working together. The title of this column came from a sign that now sits in my office in Madison. To me it signifies the pride I have of serving as your president. I hope to protect you, defend you and stand beside you in every way possible. I’m here, but I won’t forget where I came from. Hold me to it. Bragger was elected president of Wisconsin Farm Bureau in 2019. Bragger is a dairy and poultry farmer from Independence.
WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION
